Occupational Therapy research

Alfred Health’s occupational therapists strive to improve quality of care to overcome factors which impact on an individual’s ability to function in their daily roles.

Occupational therapists enhance evidence-based clinical decision making through increasing research capacity across all clinical areas.

The research activities of the occupational therapy service at Alfred Health focus on development of innovative practice, efficacy of interventions, and the translation of research into practice initiatives.

Research areas

Alfred Health Occupational Therapy research is focused across the areas of:

neurotrauma

rehabilitation

ageing

musculoskeletal conditions

About our research

Our research program is led by Associate Professor Natasha Lannin, and working in partnership with our clinician research team, we actively build our international occupational therapy profile through collaborative research. Our Grade 4 Research positions, based at The Alfred (Rebecca Nicks) and Caulfield Hospital (Jacqui Wheatcroft), develop research capability within the department and support clinicians to seek, use and develop best available evidence to support our occupational therapy practices.

Alfred Health Occupational Therapy research is supported by collaborative partnerships with La Trobe University, The University of Sydney, University of South Australia, Flinders University, Monash University, Australian Catholic University and Deakin University.

In 2016/2017 we secured research funding from internal and external entities/bodies. This included National Health and Medical Research Council, La Trobe University, Department of Health, Transport Accident Commission (via the Institute for Safety, Compensation, Rehabilitation and Recovery), as well as Alfred Research Trust.

During 2016 /2017 our occupational therapy staff disseminated their research outcomes through publication in peer-reviewed journals (n = 30). We also presented n=53 papers at state, national and international conferences including the World Congress for Rehabilitation in Philadelphia, the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Scientific Meeting, and the International Federation for Societies of Hand Therapy Congress. Excitingly, we have n=16 staff undertaking higher degree studies and are extremely proud of the achievements of our staff.

Achievements

Ms Laura Jolliffe and Ms Alicia Hermann, in partnership with colleagues, were successful in receiving an Alfred Research Trust Grant to conduct their study: ‘Understanding early upper limb rehabilitation after stroke: A qualitative evaluation’

Associate Professor Natasha Lannin was conferred as an inaugural Fellow of the Occupational Therapy Australia Research Academy (July, 2017), celebrating her sustained and internationally exemplary contribution to occupational therapy research here in Australia. Earlier in May 2017, Natasha was conferred as a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Research Foundation, acknowledging the impact of her research internationally and becoming one of only three Australians who hold this honour.

Ms Emma Schneider was awarded Elspeth Pearson Award (2016) by Occupational Therapy Australia which supported the advancement of her clinical expertise in cognitive rehabilitation through access to professional development based in USA.

Ms Bianca Summers was awarded the Master of Clinical Rehabilitation Research Prize from Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia (2016), recognising the excellence of her research conducted at Alfred Health which sought to better predict time-use in acute and rehabilitation occupational therapy services.

Ms Laura Jolliffe was awarded a 2017 Stroke Society of Australasia Allied Health Professionals Award, which supported her to attend the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Stroke Society of Australasia to present findings from her PhD program of research on knowledge translation in stroke rehabilitation.

Current research

Improving memory after acquired brain injury

Associate Professor Lannin and colleagues conducted an assessor-blinded RCT to determine the effectiveness of personal digital assistant devices on achievement of memory and organisation goals in 42 patients with poor memory after acquired brain injury.

Associate Professor Lannin and colleagues conducted a randomised controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of an environmental reorientation program on time to emergence from PTA in 40 inpatients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Contact us

The Alfred

Associate Professor Lannin and colleagues conducted a randomised controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of an environmental reorientation program on time to emergence from PTA in 40 inpatients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).